Taking visitors from the machines of the 18th century, right through to the modern age of connectivity and automation, the museum also highlights an automatic production line that uses IoT technology to manufacture components.
The museum exhibits portray the status of machine tools as ‘mother machines’ that produce the parts required to keep vital equipment operational in highly important industries, such as aerospace, medical and automotive. These educational exhibits include several traditional machine tools in working condition, as well as other objects of interest, such as cars, aircraft and a steam train. Each exhibit has been painstakingly restored in co-operation with manufacturers from all over the world. Furthermore, the museum features an educational corner where children can enjoy hands-on learning and discover more about the technology.
Constructed with sustainability in mind, the museum is located 11 m underground in a renovated Mazak laser-cutting machine assembly facility and utilises geothermal energy to regulate internal temperature. As a result, the electrical consumption required to heat and cool the museum is much less than that of an equivalent-sized above-ground facility.
“Machine tools provide absolutely vital support to manufacturing worldwide, meaning they are also vital to the workings of everyday life,” says Richard Smith, European group managing director at Yamazaki Mazak Europe. “The Yamazaki Mazak Museum of Machine Tools is a fitting reflection of the massive contribution these ‘mother machines’ have made to technological advancement and their impact on society as a whole.”
